Season 9 (All in the Family)

This guide lists all of the episodes aired during the ninth season of All in the Family, which would be the show's final season.

Season review

The series introduced a new cast member, child actress Danielle Brisebois, who appeared as Stephanie Mills, Edith Bunker's grandniece, who was left on the Bunkers' doorstep by Edith's nephew, who, unable to find work after the death of his wife, leaves little nine-year-old Stephanie with the Bunkers, vowing to return for her when he was able to find steady employment and a new place to live, only to abandon her, leaving Archie and Edith to raise her. The events surrounding the ninth and final season of All in the Family would be spun off into a new series the next season, titled Archie Bunker's Place, as the focus would shift a little from the Bunker home to the goings on at the saloon.

Season 9 (1978-79)

Archie is looking forward to a little peace and quiet, and well as spending time alone with Edith, when her Step-cousin - chronically unemployed Floyd Mills - drops by for dinner ... and a request: raise his daughter, Stephanie, while he tries to get back on his feet.

Note: First appearance of Danielle Brisebois as Stephanie Mills, Archie & Edith's "niece" (actually the daughter of Edith's step-cousin). Also first episode pretaped and shown to live studio audience for reactions and not taped in front of live studio audience.

Edith's cousin Floyd fails to make good on his promise to show up to reclaim Stephanie. Archie, fearing that he won't get the peace and quiet he always wanted, wants to send Stephanie to the orphanage. However, Edith decides her niece has brought a happiness and joy to the Bunker household that she hasn't seen in years, and manages to talk Archie out of his plan. Eventually, Archie is won over and decides to let Stephanie stay.

Archie and Edith accompany the Hefners to a cabin in the woods. But Barney and Blanche aren't having very good luck trying to patch up their tumultuous marriage, and it isn't long before the Bunkers are caught in an explosive argument. When Blanche refuses to allow Barney to sleep in her bed that night, Barney is forced to bunk with Archie. The opportunity allows Blanche to air her grievances to Edith, who successfully persuades her to give things one more try.

Edith wants to buy a new color television set for Archie for their 30th anniversary. However, she is denied credit twice: once at the store, and again when she tries to sign for a loan at the bank. She then asks Archie for permission to borrow $500, but when she won't say why, he won't let her have the money either, causing Edith to become extremely angry.

Note: Edith notes that her favorite soap opera is As the World Turns (which, like All in the Family, appears on CBS).

Remember Denise, the waitress with whom Archie nearly had an affair two years earlier? Harry - without consulting Archie - hires Denise as a waitress at Archie's Place. Archie is caught between a rock and a hard place when he finds out, and worries what Edith will say when the two finally meet. Sure enough, Edith runs into Denise at the bar ... and after a long conversation, decides to forgive her for tempting Archie into infidelity.

Archie and Edith are excited about welcoming Mike, Gloria and Joey home for Christmas ... when they call to announce they are not coming and won't say why. This leads Edith to suggest perhaps traveling to Santa Barbara, California for the holidays.

Note: Part 1 of a three-part story arc concerning the Bunkers visiting the Stivics in California for Christmas.

The Stivics' first Christmas in California may be their last together, the Bunkers learn. Gloria lets on that she and Mike are having serious marital problems and have separated. Archie is furious, assuming that Mike was to blame, but he really hits the roof when he finds out the truth. Mike's job as a college professor requires him to spend a lot of time away from home, and a lonely Gloria responds by having an affair with a neighbor. As a stunned Mike watches, Archie - forgetting he once too nearly went astray - screams at Gloria about her unfaithfulness to her husband. Edith tries to get Archie to stop his verbal assault, but he tells her it's "God's business." Edith's retort: "Then you let God tend to it!" Then, in her own unique way, she asks her daughter and son-in-law whether there is anything left to rebuild their crumbling marriage. Mike and Gloria uneasily say they will try to rekindle their flickering marriage, and then put off the discussion long enough to invite Stephanie and Joey in to unwrap Christmas presents.</p>

Note: Originally aired as a one-hour episode, and constitutes the second of two-part story arc concerning the Bunkers visiting the Stivics in California for Christmas. In syndication, this episode is aired as a two-part episode. This is the last AITF episode to feature all four of the original cast members, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, together. However, they also appeared together for Thanksgiving at the Bunker house on Archie Bunker's Place.

When Stephanie develops appendicitis, old, but reliable Dr. Shapiro is unavailable to perform the surgery. However, his son - who turns out to be one of Gloria's former playmates, is available and willing to do the surgery, even if Archie objects.

Things are missing from the Bunkers' household, and also from Stephanie's teacher. Stephanie is fingered as the culprit, and she readily admits she stole. But then she lets on her anxiety over returning to her father, and that she will have nothing to remember Uncle Archie and Aunt Edith by. Archie wants to spank his niece, but then decides to back off.

Archie's brother, Fred, returns ... with a beautiful 18-year-old wife named Katherine. This leads to a heated discussion over April–September romances, and a further strain placed on the relationship between Archie and Fred.

Edith finds out that Stephanie has been hiding the fact she is Jewish from Archie. Archie finds out and hits the roof. Edith once again has to remind Archie that certain decisions aren't his to make, causing Archie to have a change of heart, even giving her a Star of David necklace to wear.

Edith loses her job at the Sunshine Home after being in the company of a terminally ill woman as she died. The thing is, Edith honored the woman's wish to "die with dignity," and she did nothing to alert the on-duty nurses after she lost consciousness. The woman's family complained, and Edith was let go. In the end, the woman's daughter thanks Edith because her mother is no longer suffering.

Cousin Floyd shows up as promised, but now has a demand: hand over $1,000 or never see Stephanie again. Knowing that Floyd is using blackmail to get money, Archie and Edith hatch a plan to get Floyd to go away and keep Stephanie where she belongs.

Note: Two character actors from this episode died before the show aired. On March 6, 1979, 83-year-old actor Charles Wagenheim was bludgeoned to death in his Hollywood apartment following a grocery shopping trip when he surprised a thief in his home. By sheer horrific coincidence, elderly character actor Victor Kilian was found beaten to death by burglars in his Los Angeles-area apartment just a few days later (March 11th).[4]

Archie enlists Edith to help cook corned beef and cabbage for a St. Patrick's Day festival at Archie's Place. What Archie does not know is that Edith has come down with an acute case of phlebitis, and that she was told to stay off her feet. Edith does not want to tell Archie, afraid she will let him down. Finally, Edith's phlebitis catches up with her, and she tells Archie she cannot walk, and to call Dr. Shapiro. Initially, Shapiro is angry at Archie for apparently forcing Edith to work, but when he sees Archie did not know about the illness, he has a crisis of conscience for yelling at him. Archie also is stunned, and comes upstairs. Archie cannot believe that Edith would hide that from him, and questions her love for him. After Edith reassures him, Archie tells her he wants to be told next time when she is not feeling well, then admits he loves her very much and that without her, he has nothing.

Note: This is the final episode of All in the Family, before it made the transition to Archie Bunker's Place at the beginning of the following season.